As a marketer, another goal of storytelling is to promote our product or services. We want our customers to see themselves in our stories. We hope our customers will share our point of view and aspirations.
One of my clients, Family Counseling Services, sought to increase utilization of their services, so we developed a multi-channel advertising strategy that included bus shelter ads, digital ads, and a mail campaign.
For privacy reasons, we did not want to feature images of actual patients/service recipients. Based on we wanted to highlight:
- The personal agency/power of patients seeking mental health assistance. Each patient is the protagonist in their own story…they are the only ones with the power. They are in charge of changing their life story.
- The verdant, lush setting of the facility and it’s grounds. This is not an “institutional” environment.
- The friendliness, openness, warmth of the counselors. These are people you can and want to talk to. The staff of Family Counseling Services were inviting customers to engage.
Beyond advertising, we equipped key referral sources with materials and we highlighted their crucial role in successful patient outcomes via an intentional appreciation strategy.
This campaign served the additional purpose of engaging Family Counseling Services’ employees and counselors. Our process provided an opportunity for staff to share ideas, to feel valued, and to thank the community .
